“Would you like to know a secret, or even two?” is the title of the afterword written by the translator Cinzia Sani and published in the book Il calendario dei sogni di Orso Mirtillo (MIMebù 2024).

An extract from the afterword
Would you like to know a secret, or even two?

by Cinzia Sani

Now that you’ve finished reading the book and have probably done all the activities suggested for each day, you’ll certainly have learnt a lot. You’ve been on a journey with a fantastic friend, Mirtillo, who’s taken you to a fairy-tale world full of a thousand imaginative activities. But are you sure it’s all just fantasy? Well, let me let you in on a few secrets.

In the book, Mirtillo and his friend set off on an imaginary journey, but in reality there are hidden clues about a country – Ukraine – its culture and its traditions. Of course, just like footprints in the snow, these clues need to be uncovered. You may have heard about Ukraine on the television, but in this book, through the fun facts and games featured in the calendar, accompanied by the tender, delicate pastel-coloured illustrations, you’ve discovered many of the wonders of this country without even realising it – some similar to our own, others completely different. You’ve learnt, for example, that in January it’s so cold you can build snow tunnels or skate on frozen puddles; that over there they drink tea with jam rather than honey like we do; that in February they celebrate Maslenitsa (very similar to our Carnival) and eat vareniki and sweet blini (definitely worth trying!); in March the snow melts and snowdrops spring up, and in April they celebrate Easter in Ukraine too, just like we do. You’ve discovered that in May the weather is a bit of a tease and you can be caught in a storm even on a sunny day, but then, just like here, summer arrives with a riot of colours, rain on a clear day and rainbows, fruit and, of course, the heat.

In September, children in Ukraine go to school just like you, and in October they eat sweet pumpkin porridge (another treat known as ‘kasha’ in Ukrainian). Finally, in November, the fog rolls in and the first snowflakes fall, whilst in December everything is covered in a white blanket and St Nicholas (their Father Christmas) arrives, followed by the Christmas tree, presents, sweets and New Year’s Eve. And then there are the ‘brave crows’, which herald the arrival of spring, lark-shaped cakes, Kapitoshka (a character from a Ukrainian cartoon from the 1980s) and much more. You’ve discovered all this in a playful and fun way. Or at least that’s what I hope! Who am I? Well, the translator. I’ve still got one secret to reveal to you: I’ve been on the same journey as you. ‘Really?’ you might be wondering. If you’re curious to find out more, let me tell you about it. My journey has only just come to an end and it took me on an exciting, if somewhat complicated, adventure: translating a story from another language and managing to convey to you those little clues about Ukraine hidden between the lines of the book was no easy task; in fact, at times it was a real challenge. As well as speaking a different language, Ukraine and Italy also have different climates, cultures and traditions; in short, they are two very different worlds. My job, however, is precisely this: to convey diversity by making it feel familiar. And it was in this spirit that I set off on my journey as a translator. […]

To continue reading the afterword by Cinzia Sani and discover all the activities you can do with Orso Mirtillo, don’t forget to buy Il calendario dei sogni di Orso Mirtillo.

Cinzia Sani

Cinzia Sani is a freelance professional translator with over 20 years’ experience. She graduated from the Scuola Superiore per Traduttori e Interpreti in Forlì and has taught university-level translation courses.